Sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography and the exploitation of child labour.

1991/54. Sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography and the exploitation of child labour

The Commission on Human Rights, Having considered the report of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities on its forty-second session (E/CN.4/1991/2), Taking note of the report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, Mr. Vitit Muntarbhorn, (E/CN.4/1991/51), and of the report of the Secretary-General on comments received from Governments, the specialized agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations on the draft programme of action for prevention of sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (E/CN.4/1991/50 and Add.1), Bearing in mind decision 1990/6, on children in especially difficult circumstances, adopted by the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund at its ordinary session of 1990, Deeply concerned about the information received on the exploitation of children in its various manifestations, the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography and the exploitation of child labour, Also deeply concerned about the consequences of these practices for the children who are the victims in all parts of the world, especially in countries of the third world facing development problems, Taking note with satisfaction of the intention of the International Labour Organisation to implement a new programme on the elimination of child labour, Aware of the need to adopt urgent measures to prevent and eliminate these problems,

I DRAFT PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR PREVENTION OF SALE OF CHILDREN, CHILD PROSTITUTION AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

1. Welcomes with satisfaction the report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children;

2. Takes note of the comments received by the Secretary-General from Governments, the specialized agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations on the draft programme of action for prevention of sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography;

3. Takes note of the report of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities on its forty-second session and, in particular, of the report of its Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery on its fifteenth session (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1990/44);

4. Decides to refer to the Sub-Commission the draft programme of action (E/CN.4/1991/50, Annex) so that it might make the necessary amendments in the light of the opinions received from Governments, the specialized agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations;

5. Requests the Sub-Commission in its reformulation of the programme of action, fully to reflect the 10-point programme of the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children (see E/CN.4/1991/59, annex, para. 20), adopted by the World Summit for Children on 30 September 1990;

6. Also requests the Sub-Commission to give the highest priority to the reformulation of the programme of action so that it might be adopted by the Commission on Human Rights at its forty-eighth session;

7. Requests the Special Rapporteur, on the basis of his experience, to consider the possibility of submitting his comments and suggestions to the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, if possible, by attending its meetings;

8. Requests the Under-Secretary-General for Human Rights to provide the Sub-Commission with the necessary cooperation for the fulfilment of this mandate;

9. Decides to consider the question at its forty-eighth session under the agenda item "Rights of the child";

II DRAFT PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE ELIMINATION OF THE EXPLOITATION OF CHILD LABOUR

10. Adopts draft resolution VII, entitled "Programme of Action for the Elimination of the Exploitation of Child Labour", recommended for adoption by the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities in its resolution 1990/31 of 31 August 1990 (see E/CN.4/1991/2, chap. I, sect. A);

11. Decides to transmit to Governments, the specialized agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations for their comments the draft programme of action annexed to the draft resolution of the Sub-Commission;

12. Requests Member States to support through the appropriate means, including financial contributions, the programme of the International Labour Organisation on the elimination of child labour;

13. Requests the Secretary-General to submit an analytical summary of the replies received to the Commission at its forty-eighth session;

14. Decides to examine the draft, programme of action and the report of the Secretary-General at its forty-eighth session under the agenda item "Rights of the child".

53rd meeting
6 March 1991
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XXIV.]